A national campaign which hopes to address the stigma surrounding breastfeeding in public has been launched by Public Health England.

In an effort to 'break down barriers', the Start4Life campaign encourages mothers to nurse their children in public in a bid to remove the discomfort which some women feel surrounds the task.

Based on figures which indicate a staggering number of women feel uncomfortable feeding their child in public, the campaign hopes to alleviate the anxiety felt by many mums when they realise it's time for their baby's feed.

Despite the fact 72% of the public support breastfeeding, a recent poll of 2,300 people indicates that 60% of new mothers have tried to conceal the fact they're nursing while over 30% have admitted to feeling embarrassed or uncomfortable.

Further to this, almost one-quarter admit they have avoided the activity while in public as they feel those around them may not appreciate it.

Commenting on the purpose of the campaign, Dr. Ann Hoskins from Public Health England asserted: "Anxiety about breastfeeding in public certainly shouldn't be a barrier to breastfeeding in general."

Highlighting the motivation behind the national campaign, Dr. Hoskins insists that it is not simply aimed at nursing mothers, but reminds the wider public of the role they can play in it.

"One of the great benefits of breastfeeding is that it can be done anytime and anywhere, so as a society we need to help new mothers feel comfortable in feeding their babies wherever and whenever they need to - and we all have a role to play in that."

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